Emerging Deal: Dunleavy speaks on the France scouting projected top-five NBA draft pick, warriors’ top-tie targets…
Mike Dunleavy got a head start to his European summer, but it was far from a vacation for the Warriors general manager.
Dunleavy, Warriors assistant general manager Larry Harris and Santa Cruz Warriors general manager David Fatoki were spotted in France over the weekend watching top NBA draft prospect Zaccharie Risacher (h/t Yahoo! Sports).
Risacher, who plays for JL Bourg of the LNB Pro A, is widely considered one of the best players in the 2024 draft class.
The 6-foot-10 French forward finished with 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting, with eight rebounds and one assist in 19 minutes.
Risacher is averaging 10.1 points on 43.6-percent shooting and 3.9 rebounds in 31 games. He also played in the EuroCup, where he averaged 13.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 17 games.
The 19-year-old currently is projected to go No. 1 overall, per Tankathon, with the Detroit Pistons landing him with the top pick.
With Sunday’s NBA draft lottery approaching Sunday, Golden State has a 3.8 percent chance of securing a top-four selection in next month’s draft. If the Warriors don’t land one of the first four picks, they will lose their selection to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The draft is set for June 26.
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Trade Proposal Sends Suns’ Kevin Durant Back To Warriors
One NBA writer proposed that the Golden State Warriors acquire Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report proposed the following trade idea between the Warriors and Suns:
The trade: The Golden State Warriors trade Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and two first-round picks (including No. 1) to the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant
Durant averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists for the Suns this season while shooting 52.3% from the field, 41.3% from beyond the arc and 85.6% from the free-throw line. He was seventh in the NBA in points and fifth in points per game.
The Suns got swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2024 playoffs after going 49-33 during the regular season.
The Warriors didn’t make the postseason this year. Durant played for the Dubs from 2016-17 to 2018-19. The NBA legend won two championships and two Finals MVPs before leaving for the Brooklyn Nets in 2019.
According to NBA reporters Shams Charania and Doug Haller of The Athletic, Durant never felt comfortable with his role in the Suns‘ offense alongside Devin Booker and Bradley Beal this season, so he could be open for another trade.
“If the Warriors have a chance to add a difference-maker of Durant’s caliber without totally depleting their asset collection, it almost certainly involves landing the No. 1 pick,” Buckley wrote. “Now, the Suns may still decide this is not enough for the 16-time All-Star, but the Warriors can expand this offer with more prospects and/or pick swaps if needed.
“That would be a steep price, but Golden State’s need for a Stephen Curry co-star is substantial. And while the Warriors could consider alternatives, maybe those players wouldn’t fit this system as snugly as Durant already has. During his three seasons in Golden State, the team made three Finals appearances and won two titles, both of which saw the 35-year-old crowned as Finals MVP.”
Durant will make $49.9 million next season and $53.3 million in 2025-26.
Since leaving the Warriors, Durant has won only two playoff series. He’s been swept twice in the first round of the postseason.
One of the greatest players in NBA history, Durant averaged 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 208 games with the Warriors.
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